Hey everybody, I have a question about dist-upgrading. I installed kanotix 2005-04 a couple of days ago and I decided to dist-upgrade. Thought I originally did not intend to, the reason for this is that since all the packages are old, when I wanted to install a new program through apt-get it would need to update or install a million things, so I though I might as well dist-upgrade.

I booted into init 1.After it downloaded about 600 megabytes of files and started to do the upgrade, everyone once in a while it asked me if I wanted to replace a config file with a new one or leave the current one. I searched the forums but nobody has stated what they chose. I just said yes everytime it asked, I'm not sure if that was a good idea but my reasoning was that the updated config file must surely be better.

I kept running into errors during the installation several times, and I had to do apg-get -f install and dpkg --configure -a several times. I also had to redo the apt-get dist-upgrade for it to continue upgrading the system. Unfortunately, the last time I did the apt-get -f install, it forced udev to install although it needed a newer kernel version. So now, although I can boot to kde, my mouse and network adapters are gone; I can only use my keyboard, and I can't connect to the internet because there is no longer a eth0 adapter. Since I don't know too much about upgrading kernels and dist-upgrades, and this was my first time doing something like this, I assumed that the the upgrade would install the new kanotix kernel.

My question is, how do you guys who do dist-upgrades regularly cope with kernel versions, and if you replace config files when apg-get asks you. I'm thinking since all the packages are old that that is why my dist-upgrade failed, but who knows.

Thanks for your help.

DeepDayze

Titel: RE: Dist-Upgrade Question Verfasst am: 22.06.2006, 13:27 Uhr

Anmeldung: 08. Dez 2005
Beiträge: 299

2005-4 is quite old now...use the Easter release. Trying to dist-upgrade so many old packages at once is an invitation to disasters such as the one you experienced.

piper

Titel: RE: Dist-Upgrade Question Verfasst am: 22.06.2006, 13:30 Uhr

Team Member

Anmeldung: 03. Mai 2005
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Hi SaberBlaze

The most current version of Kanotix is Kanotix Easter rc4 and in my opinion the smartest way to do the d-u (dist-upgrade) is to use the default value's which would be "n"

As for upgrading the kernel you have 2 choices (maybe more), you can open konsole and type

If your base install is 2005-4, which it shouldn't be if you are starting now, use easter rc4... ignore the release candidate stuff, it just means that kano is waiting for some things to settle down in sid, the final release version will be more or less the same as the version you run that has been successfully dist-upgraded. But if your base install is 2005-4, you selected exactly the wrong option on each config file question. The correct answer is 'n', or 'cancel', or 'keep current'. Unfortunately the debian package guys have trouble using the same format, you have to think about what it asks each time, but the overall thing is you ALWAYS keep your config files, with a single exception:

doing a fresh, new install of 2005-4 or cebit, you need to say 'y' to fonts.conf

That does not apply on any later version or on stuff that has been fairly lately dist-upgraded, within the last 2 months say. In those cases, keep all your current configs. Failure to do so usually results in a failure of dist-upgrade.

I just did a vanilla install of 2005-4 to test this, and it upgraded fine, apt is a very powerful system, though I think I wouldn't try this after the install is over a year old, I'd have to see at that point. That would be pushing it. But 6 months, that's not long. But it does upgrade pretty much the whole system.

My script will alert you to things like requirements for new kernels, and let you install them, with directions.

I'm lazy, and want to eventually get my friends doing this, but they aren't going to be spending hours a week reading kanotix forums and irc, so I wanted them to have a relatively safe way to go.

Plus I upgrade a lot of boxes and installs, and I just don't like keeping all this stuff in my head, I'd rather it just live somewhere in a file that I can run. Call me lazy.

SaberBlaze

Titel:Verfasst am: 22.06.2006, 22:20 Uhr

Anmeldung: 22. Jun 2006
Beiträge: 49

Thanks guys for your help. h2, I'm going to reinstall kanotix and try your script (after apt-get is all set up of course) because I'm feeling adventurous. If for some reason I screw it up or maybe it doesn't do right, I'll go ahead and download the easter rc4 release. I'll post back my results when it's done.

Btw, does anyone know when the final version of the newer kanotix will be released? I can't hardly wait.

saberblaze, there is nothing to setup with apt, once you have installed kanotix, set up your network connections, apt is up and running.

That's when you download script, get out of kde, ideally by rebooting and starting in runlevel 3, type 3 in grub, hit enter, navigate to /usr/local/bin where you put the script, run script, that's it, follow directions.

May work, should. Personally I wouldn't start with 2005-4, you are just falling for some semantics here, it's just words, kanotix since 2005-4 IS debian sid, with some kanotix packages added, and a kanotix/slh created kernel. But if you want to do it, have fun, it's about 1000 packages to upgrade/update/add currently, 600 mB or so. All options will need to be run that the script has, and only font.conf can be accepted when confirmation is asked for.

Do not configure any of the stuff that will be installed that you don't use, some modem stuff, hp printer stuff, just say no to it all unless you actually need it. That's no to all the internal dist-upgrade process stuff, except fonts.conf, and y to all my script stuff.

By the way, trying to do a dist-upgrade on 2005-4 without using that script is FAR more adventurous than using my script, and it's almost certain to result in failure unless you know and implement each and every fix it contains manually. And doing a dist-upgrade on easter is still easier with it than without it, there are a few fixes that are required now, multicd comes to mind, if still needed, sometimes sid just fixes the stuff by itself at a later date. the xorg fix is not required in easter rc4, but was in earlier rc's if I remember right, otherwise I'd just not offer it as an option when the version is easter, but the first easter was released before xorg 7 was included, I think anyway.

Re the newer version of kanotix, anyone who is successfully dist-upgrading and kernel upgrading is running the newer version of kanotix. With one exception, the knxcc stuff, kanotix gui control panel, but it doesn't really offer anything you don't already have access to through the kanotix fish on the taskbar, it's just nicer looking and more 'user friendly', I don't use it, no reason to.

SaberBlaze

Titel:Verfasst am: 22.06.2006, 23:06 Uhr

Anmeldung: 22. Jun 2006
Beiträge: 49

Well, when I said set up apt, I meant do a apt-get update and then fix the key errors that appear, and after that to use your script.

Thanks for your help h2.

h2

Titel:Verfasst am: 22.06.2006, 23:22 Uhr

Anmeldung: 12. Mar 2005
Beiträge: 1005

my script does that for you, it's designed so you don't need to know the steps, it has the steps built in from beginning to end. Plus probably a manual option list for each major thing it does, if you only want to do one of them. That will override the memory of steps thing I think.

Next version will also remember your choices so it doesn't keep asking you to do things you've either: already done, or don't want done. That will speed it up a bit too for repeat uses.

SaberBlaze

Titel:Verfasst am: 23.06.2006, 04:39 Uhr

Anmeldung: 22. Jun 2006
Beiträge: 49

It worked!! This script is awesome, h2, even the fglrx drivers are working flawlessly. I had choose the apt-get -f install options several times, of course, but when it was done with the dist-upgrade and installing the fglrx it booted to the desktop and everything works fine. Thanks, h2, this script should be included with all kanotix releases.

Now, if I want to, say, do a dist-upgrade once a month, do I just choose the same options in the script (dbus, multicd, install driver) or should I only choose to update the kernel if there is a new version? Also, if in later dist-upgrades I get asked the questions of whether to update config files, I always choose no, right?

Thanks h2, now I am fully up to date.

PS, should I clean the /var/cache/apt folder (using apt-get clean)? I don't think I need almost 700 megabytes of installation files, right?

h2

Titel:Verfasst am: 23.06.2006, 08:59 Uhr

Anmeldung: 12. Mar 2005
Beiträge: 1005

heh heh... yes, it works, I use it all the time.

saberblaze, no, the options on the script mostly only need to be run one time, but most of them can be run repeatedly with no ill affect, there is just no point to it.

The next version of the script will in fact only run the options once, then write to a config file so that you don't get asked those questions if you've already done them.

The kernel you can always choose to upgrade if you want, it's the first real option currently, but if you did it today, you have the latest, 2.6.17 so you shouldn't need a new one for a while unless something isn't working.

To clean apt cache, run: apt-get clean
To get rid of old kernel, run this: remove-all-kernels-completely

I'll probably add an option list so you can pick stuff like that, or any one single operation, in the next version or two, in other words, auto or manual, plus some nice stuff like the above.

Since the script updates itself if required automatically, there's no need to check for new versions, it does it for you.

But I'll probably add those features, or most of them, this week.

Glad the script work, there isn't currently any real reason to expect it not to, especially on a new install.

The script has a few small bugs in it, but I think I figured out how to fix one of them today, we'll see, it's a weirdness with how bash works.

Richard

Titel:Verfasst am: 25.06.2006, 01:59 Uhr

Anmeldung: 07. Nov 2005
Beiträge: 112
Wohnort: Venezuela

Just another success story.
Ran the script on a fresh k-easter-rc4 install.

in most cases the answer to a 'new config' question is 'N' , or 'enter' [keep existing]
only rarely is it correct to accept a new config
almost NEVER ,in the case of custom-configurations

_________________namu amida butsu

op4latino

Titel:Verfasst am: 25.06.2006, 17:09 Uhr

Anmeldung: 18. Jul 2005
Beiträge: 293
Wohnort: EST US

etorix hat folgendes geschrieben::

only rarely is it correct to accept a new config

What is a good example(s) of a rare situation to obtain a new configuration?

h2: nice script, I hope aynoS learns about it.

slam

Titel:Verfasst am: 25.06.2006, 17:11 Uhr

Anmeldung: 05. Okt 2004
Beiträge: 2069
Wohnort: w3

Zitat:

What is a good example(s) of a rare situation to obtain a new configuration?

If the old configuration did not work for you, and you hope the new one comes with a solution for your problem.
Greetings,
Chris

_________________"An operating system must operate."

h2

Titel:Verfasst am: 25.06.2006, 22:53 Uhr

Anmeldung: 12. Mar 2005
Beiträge: 1005

Doing a full dist-upgrade from a fresh, non dist-upgraded 2005-4 or Cebit install, and possibly Easter rc 1 or 2, I can't remember, there is only one config you need to use new, or 'y', that's fonts.conf. All other options can safely be answered by 'n', 'cancel', 'ok', or whatever else translates to 'keep my current configuration'. That wvdialup or whatever keeps coming up just use cancel unless you need it for something.

Slam points out the other rare instance.

the script now has sticky selections for some options so you will only see those the first time you run it, as of version 2.0.0

I tested a 2005-4 yesterday full upgrade, it takes a long time, you have to do the install -f / dist-upgrade options several times before it's all installed, don't assume it's done until running both results in no further activity.

The dbus / hal stuff on a vanilla install now appears to require a reboot before it's all working correctly, at least that's what I saw. After reboot it was ok. This is not an issue on easter releases.

I'll probably add some other small conveniences to be offered before it ends like running alsaconf, apt-get clean, fix-res, and a few other little things that some users might not know about, but otherwise it seems ok for the moment.

I used your script last night. I had to run it two times. After the first run, Kanotix booted slow and everything seemed in slow motion. After a second run, however, the results were excellent. Thank you for writing and sharing it.

michael

P.S. I have an AMD64 dual core processor, if that's of any interest to you.

My guess is that the dist-upgrade didn't finish all the way, it's not always obvious that it didn't. Running the 1 and 2 options in the dist-upgrade section several more times after you think it's done will not hurt anything when you are doing a really big dist-upgrade, and will make sure that the full distupgrade gets done.

On normal, smaller dist-upgrades, the 1 [install -f] option should hopefully not be required in most cases, unless the upgrade stopped with errors.

This is especially important on old, non-dist-upgraded systems, where it will hang many times before finally getting all completed.

Lucky you on the dual core, that was out of my price range when I built this box, now of course next month prices are dropping and the faster and dual core chip costs the same as I paid for my single core slower chip 8 months ago.

try running the script now, it should work fine, it's updated. I didn't realize the vdr thing was an official release. Your local version of du-fixes-h2.sh will update itself when it starts, so you don't need to do anything but run the version you downloaded.